Page 30 of A Submissive's Gift
“Thanks, Squirt,” he said, kissing her soundly. “I’ll let that lie pass in honor of the true master of drawing rigging.”
“Don’t you mean mistress?” Ariel taunted only to squeal when he set her down, swatted her ass before plucking the box from her hands and passing it to Elizabeth.
By the time the boxes were all opened, the theme of the test was without question. A bottle of bubble bath, a very sturdy wide-backed wooden-handled bath brush, and a large loofah told the story that the bathroom was not to be ignored in the testing process. A skimpy, very thin and extremely sexy midnight blue gown was just waiting to be worn by the beautiful co-owner of Haven, and of course, to be removed by her handsome, sexy Dom, who just happened to be that very co-owner.
Elizabeth felt her skin begin to tingle as Logan ran his fingers through the multiple strands of a new flogger. Looking up, she gave Nancy a smile, acknowledging the choice of the implement her friend had pretended to want to purchase for herself during their last visit to Harry’s. The soft strands would caress Liz’s skin with every stroke while driving her to the point of begging for Logan to take her with a far firmer touch.
Picking up the last item, she gave Logan a puzzled look. “What’s this?”
Chuckling, Jason provided the answer. “It’s a recorder. Hell, we all know that Ariel was serious about the whole anticipation comment. It’s enough that you two are going to have all the fun—you can’t expect us to hang around for hours, can you? We’ll give you some time as we check different areas of the hotel, but then you two are on your own. You can check the tape at your leisure.”
Logan wrapped his arm around Elizabeth, truly touched by the thoughtfulness of his friends and family. Before he could speak his thanks, Garrett made a point of looking at his watch.
“And, buddy, your time starts now, so I suggest you get busy!” Laughter followed the couple as they realized thanks didn’t need to be verbalized. Gathering up their gifts, theygrinned at each other as they headed for the stairs. “Don’t forget to turn on the recorder and put it outside your door!” Garrett yelled above the laughter.
True to their plan, the six spread out around the hotel, each listening to see if any sounds could be heard once Logan bellowed, “Let the test commence,” before the door to the chosen room was slammed shut. When several minutes passed without a sound, they all gathered at the entrance again, grinning with the success of Elizabeth’s determination to provide absolute privacy to her clients. Locking the front door behind them, the couples sauntered along the path that led around the lake to where five cabins had been built in record time, each praying that their rigging of the drawing had the results they all wished.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Logan smiled after placing the recorder on the floor and pushing the record button. He gave Elizabeth a sexy look, his eyebrow quirking as he opened the door to one of the suites on the second floor. “Shall we?” he asked, bowing low and sweeping his hand to the opening, ushering her inside to claim their prize.
Elizabeth returned his smile, but her heart was pounding far more than the knowledge that they were going to make love warranted. She remained silent, flinching only a bit as Logan purposely slammed the door closed after bellowing to inform those below that the test had officially begun. Watching as he took their gifts from her arms to toss them onto the beautifully made bed, she took a deep breath, ready to use her voice in a way he would certainly not be expecting. After accepting his kiss when he drew her into his arms, she placed her hands against his chest, pushing away when his lips parted from hers. The flash of pain and doubt in the depths of his eyes tore at her soul.
She had seen that look ever since the night of the costume party. Though they had made love dozens of times since then, something had been missing. Elizabeth hadn’t worried at first, but when she continued to feel that he was pulling away from her after Barbara had successfully concluded their case, she had tofight not to give up hope. She felt something vital between them disappearing. It was like a large vessel that had been full of warm water was evaporating a drop at a time. Fearing what would happen when the last drop disappeared, she knew it was up to her to fill it again. Standing before him now, she was determined to wipe the haunted look that he tried to hide from her out of his eyes forever.
“Logan, I need you,” she began, shaking her head as he again grinned and reached for her.
“I’m here, babe, ready and?—”
“No.” Seeing the single word cause the cloud to appear in his eyes again, Elizabeth grasped both of his hands. “Please, listen to me. Logan, I love you so much but—God, I’m so afraid.”
“Afraid?” Logan’s voice was barely audible as his heart thundered. At that moment he wished like hell that he could get his hands on the bastard who had caused the love of his life to live in fear. “Liz, Greg is…”
“No!” Elizabeth’s voice rose as she realized she was botching this. “It’s not that—hell, I don’t give a shit about Greg?—”
“Shh, babe, we don’t have to?—”
“Goddamn it, Logan, for someone who claims to want clarity, talking to you is like trying to communicate with a fucking brick wall. Please, shut up and just listen to me!”
If a brick wall had collapsed on top of him, it would have been less shocking than hearing her words. Logan stood, stunned to his core, not even aware of her hands releasing his as she stepped away. He was at a total loss, every instance of failing her playing again in his mind, the sight of her turning from him tearing his heart to shreds. Logan felt his knees almost buckle as if the weight of his failure had finally broken him physically, after already devastating him emotionally.
It was this sight that returned Elizabeth to his arms. After shouting at him, she had to turn away to gather her courageanew. Turning back, seeing that her words were killing the man she adored, she rushed to him, her arms encircling his chest, her small frame bracing his as his entire body began to shake.
“God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, please…”
“Don’t,” Logan said, his mind warring with his heart. There was no mistaking that she had meant her words. She had never once spoken to him in that tone or in such a way. It took the grace of God to allow Logan to push away his shock and look down into her face. The tears swimming in her eyes gave him enough strength to lift her and carry her to the large armchair. He collapsed into it, his arms holding her tightly. “Talk to me. I’ll shut up, I swear. I’ll listen… just, God, tell me what you are you afraid of.”
Elizabeth reached up and cupped his cheek with her palm. “Hold me, Logan, hold me so I can tell you.”
Despite the fact that he was holding her, crushing her to him, he understood. He removed one arm from his hold and lifted it until his hand took her hand, turned it carefully in order to slowly link their fingers together. Bringing their clasped hands to his lips, he kissed her knuckles one by one and something released inside him. Tension he didn’t realize he had been holding in seeped from him at the soft sigh and smile she gave him, as she bent forward and kissed his fingers in return.
“I need you back,” she began. “I need us back. I don’t think I can bear living if we can’t find ‘us’ again. That’s what I’m so afraid of.” She paused, her eyes closing briefly as the true weight of her fear consumed her. “Logan, you are my life and my very soul. I’ve told you, I was never really afraid of Greg that night.” Feeling him tense beneath her, she opened her eyes and met his. “I know you feel you failed me, but you have never failed me, and I pray you won’t now. I knew you’d come for me—God, I know you’d die for me, but, Logan, if-if you can’t come back to me and give me all of you—including the pain I know you’re hiding,then I’m terrified that wewillfail each other. I don’t need you to treat me as if I’m some fragile piece of china. I don’t need to be watched over and have you on edge every time I’m out of your sight. I don’t need you to protect me from what you’re feeling. I wasn’t hurt, but even if I had been, I knew that you would be there to heal me, and, Logan, I need you to let me heal you as well. Can you understand anything I’m trying to say?”
“I felt so lost,” he said slowly. “Losing you, hearing you scream, made part of me die. Seeing his hands on you, knowing what could have happened, God, I was supposed to protect you and I-I?—”
“You did, Logan. You have always protected me. From the very moment you first held me, I have felt safe. Life is a game, Logan, it has many different rules, and people will make moves no one can predict. All you can do is prepare, and you have done that. Tastsinn is the safest club in the state, and all of that is due to your need to offer every single member protection. Just as you told me to let go of my fear and to find my voice, I need you to do the same. Release your guilt, Logan, for there is no guilt to be claimed. Make me yours again. Tonight is more than a test of this room—it is a test to see if we can truly move forward together. Be my partner, my lover, my fiancé, and, Sir, be the Dom who sings with me so I’m never afraid again.”
She watched as the pain disappeared from his eyes. She watched as the gleam she had been praying to see returned to shine with the promise that he had listened and understood her words and her need. She felt her entire body quiver as her love came back to her, the man who made her whole fusing with the shell of the man who had passed for Logan ever since Halloween night.
